When a modem military aircraft flies a mission it is oftentimes necessary to fly in concert with other aircraft. This synchronous flying requires extensive planning of a route with respect to known threats, satisfactory knowledge of the threat location, and information on the capabilities of the threat. The mission planning must also include the coordination of activities among the aircraft. In order to execute a complex mission against a dangerous target, it is important that there are two-way lines of communications between all the aircraft as well as between the aircraft and a ground station.
Many modem military aircraft are equipped with a digital map system which displays to the pilot the characteristics of the terrain around the aircraft, the location of the aircraft relative to the terrain, the flight path of the aircraft, and the location of the target relative to the aircraft. Other information displayed to the pilot may include the visibility of the aircraft relative to the target and possible flight paths for the aircraft to avoid detection by the threat. The disadvantage of a digital map system is that the map image is pre-processed and does not include dynamic elements of real-time mission scenes.
Currently, military aircraft are limited on the amount of information which is received and transmitted from other aircraft as well as from a ground station. These transmissions are mostly limited to voice communications. Limited means also exist to transmit some mission information to an aircraft. As currently configured, the voice communication and mission updates require two separate systems in order to process the different types of information. The need to operate two separate systems during a mission can be a burden on the flight crew. A system which provides for greater transmission and receipt capability of flight and mission information, would only be desirable in an aircraft data link if the use of these functions did not add significantly to the workload of the flight crew. The system would have to identify the types of information being received, automatically prioritize it, and compile it in a format for the flight crew to easily access on their in-cockpit display screens.
When a military aircraft is flying a mission within the vicinity of a threat, certain types of information can increase the likelihood of the success of the mission. The effectiveness of the flight crew would be enhanced by providing means for the aircraft to communicate in many different modes and provide constant updates of each other's position as well as other mission related data. There would also be an advantage to transferring video imagery information between aircraft. One example is where a scout ship flies on ahead of the rest of the aircraft to perform some kind of reconnaissance on a target. This scout ship can then transmit back to the other aircraft as well as a ground station real-time video imagery of the target to provide up to date conditions at the threat site. Another advantageous feature would be the ability to automatically, without significant attention from the pilot, transmit updated mission information among the aircraft as well as to a ground station.